John 7:35

‘The Judaisers therefore said among themselves, “Where will this man go such that we will never find him? Will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks? What is this word that he said, ‘You will seek me and will not find me, and where I am you cannot come'?” '

The Judaisers were quite upset and puzzled. ‘What on earth did He mean? Where could He go so they could not find Him?' they asked themselves. ‘Was He going to the Dispersion (the Jews spread among the nations) among the Greeks to teach the Greeks? What did His words mean?' This is probably not intended to be taken literally. It was a bout of sarcasm. No prospective Messiah would consider such an action. As has occurred throughout his Gospel John outlines questions to which his readers will know the correct answers.

Yet paradoxically the Judaisers were right. In the end that was where His message would find favour. The ‘Dispersion' were the Jews and Proselytes (circumcised Gentile converts) who were scattered over the known world and lived outside Palestine. And many Gentiles had found the ethical teaching of these Jews attractive and had joined them as ‘God-fearers', without being circumcised and becoming wholly Jews. It was among these especially that the Gospel would find a firm welcome.